Electromechanical lamp



Feb. s, 1924,. 1,483,055

P. BLOT ELECTROMECHANICAL LAMP Filed March 14. 1922 rammed Fb.5,1924.

l raux. BLo'r, or rams, FRANCE,

ELECTROMECHANICAL LAMP.

Applicativi med laren 14, 1922. serial No. 543,759.

To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, PAUL BLofr, a citizen of the French Republic, and aresident of the city of Paris, France, have invented Imyprovenients inElectromechanical Lamps, or

which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

In known electro -Lmechanical pocket lamps, the contact device of the'bulb and 1o the connecting device between the armature and the bulb aremade in a manner which is too precarious for the work of such an ap-.paratus, which is liable, 'in the ordinary course of use, to violentjars and shocks.'

In fact,it frequently happens that, with the known contact devices, afairly heavy j ar will displace the Contact and put out the light. Ashock ofthis kind also frequently L breaks the wire connecting thearmature with the lbulb contact,. a circumstance which necessitates thelamp being taken apart complete in order to remake the connection. lFinally, the bulb contact devices can only be applied to lamps with ametal casing, since it is only by means of the latter that the circuitcan be completed.

Inv some of these lamps the hub of the magnet comprises a ratchet devicewith loose rollers, the cover of which device` is carried by theratchet' and leaves an Vappreciable space between its outer edge andtheinterior housing of the barrel. his arrangement presents the ufollowingserious inconvenience: f

Under the action of. a somewhat ,violent shock, the rollers shift roundinto a position at right angles to the normal, owingto the spaceaforesaid, and escape from the barrel, so that the wheel ar is no longeractuated .4 Iby the operating andle.

The object of the present invention is to remedy the variousinconveniences mentioned, and relates -to an improved electromechanicallamp having the following 'es-v 5 sential features 1 The bulb contactiscomposed of a -flexible metallic strip mountedon the metallic cagesupporting the' eldctri p 4driving gears .and is vin contact with the Nmale member'of the head carrying the bulb, the said' strip carrying aninsulated contactpiece to which is attached the conductor from thearmature and which contacts with the insulatedcontact-piece on thebulb.'

N According to onev embodiment, this con'V 'c generator 4and its tact isformed by a very vflexible strip of steel bent round at right angles andsecured,I

by its horizontal branch on the cage housin the gears, said branchcarrying the insulate contact-piece whilst the vertical branch is in.contact with the male member of the head of the bulb in order to makethe necessary contact.

In another embodiment, the metallic strip is mounted on one of thespindles of the gears and is connected, by means of the in sulatedcontact-piece, with a metal cap in which the bulb 1s screwed.

The invention also has for its object a device for conveying current tothe bulb, wherein the conductor'conveying the current to the insulatedcontact-piece, is flexible and terminated in the female member of a pushbutton adapted to fit on .the male member to which the armatureconductor isconnected and which is secured on an insulated platemounted, either on the cage carrying the electric, generator and itsdriving members, or on the hub of the larmature.

Finally, the invention also relates to a ratchetrdevice with' looserollers, arranged in such a manner as to keep the rollers in theirproper position and to` prevent them from escaping out of the barrel.

.In order that the invention may be clearly understood, a form ofconstruction of the improved electro-mechanical lamp will be describedhereafter with reference to the accompanying drawing and by way ofexample only.

Y Fig. 1 is aniinner front'elevation of the whole of the lamp, thecasing being shown in vertical section and the bulb taken out of itshousing. I

Fig.- 2 is a partial section made according to line 2 2 of Fig. 1,showing the first form of construction of the contact of the, bulb.

Fig. 3 is a verticalfsection of a modification.

Fig.l 4 isa partial cross vertical section made according to linev 4 4of'Fig. 1.

ASSIGNOR TO SOCIETE BLUE-GARNIER & CHEVALIER,

OF PARIS, FRANCE.

lFigV 5 is a vertical section of the ratchet formed by two p ates 2 heldat a suitable distance apart by three tubular stays, and l I ,at rightangles and secured, at one end,

secured within the casing 8 by three bolts 2 fit-ted in the walls of thesaid casing and A'lhesc plates 2 are cut out as shown in the drawing, soas tofform the supports neces# sary for mounting' the operating lever as'Well as the gears for imparting a very rapid rotary movement tothemultipolar magnet '5 of' the electric generator about the shaft `6 onwhich is rigidly mounted the armature 7 of said generator.

The casing 3, which is constitued by two, similar shells engaged -witheach other and made of metalior other stamped or moulded .materiah isprovided at its upper part with tan inclined wall in which is mounted asocket 3 adapted to receive the male member 13 of the electric bulb andto present the latter in a position inclined on the axis of theapparatus so as to light 'the spacein front of the user, the handremaining in its natural position. Y y

According to the invention, the current from the armature 7 is conveyed,in the form of construction shown in Figs. 1 and ,l 2, to the contact"of the bulb 8 by means of a very flexible strip of steel 9, bent roundon the cage. 2 containing the gears, by means of a screw or rivet 10.

The horizontal Abranch of this strip 9 carries at its centre aninsulated 4contact piece 11, to which is riveted or soldered one end ofa flexible wire 12, the other end beingv connected to the armature, aswill be eX- plained later, by a movable ,connecting de- Thev verticalbranch of the said metal 'strip 9 isv directed so as yto rub against themale metalmember 13 of the head of the .bulb and to thus 'ensure thenecessary connot lbe disturbed by any jar or shock.-

' .'Moreover, the arrangement of the `vertical branch and its permanentcontact with the metal cap of the bulb ensure the body contact andenable the circuit. of thesaid bulb yto be completed even with a casingof ,in-

,Sulatin material. l

tFinal ,f the immovable position of the Contact in relation to the cage2,-' together with the pressure which it exerts "on the centre of thebulb cap, prevent the aforesai lam from being extinguished through .im-

per ect or bad contact. In' the formlof construction illustrate in Fig.3, the metal strip 9, provided with in the stays connecting the plates2.

rasante y the insulated contact piece 11, is mounted on the axis ofoscillation 1/1 of the operating lever 4, and carries a metal cap 15riveted on the said strip by the insulated contact-piece p 1l which, asalready men` tioned, is connected to the armature conductor by a iexiblewire 12.

This arrangement, like the foregoing gives the same solidity and ensuresthe Asame reliability of action whatever the shocks or jars to which thelamp may be exposed, this latter receiving the current :from thearmature when the said lamp is screwed home in the cap 15 which, as inthe preceding case, ensures body contact whether the casing be ofconduct-ing or insulating material.

The conveyance of the current to theinsulated contact 11 offboth thesystems of contacts described above is effected in the following manner:

The armature conductor is riveted or solderedon to the male member 16 ofa push button vsecured on a plate 17 of insu-- .lating material mountedfriction tight on thefhub 18 of the armature and is pressed lirmly4against the plate 2 of the cage when the armature is mounted in, saidcage, so as to prevent any angular displacement of said p ate 17 and ofthe push-buttonmember 16 which it carries. n y

The flexible wire 12 adapted to connect the armature with the insulatedcontact piece 11 is secured to the latter as 4'already described, and isof sufiicient thickness to prevent fracture through mechanical-stress atany time.

ico

' Its free end is riveted or 'soldered to the female member 16 that theconnection is thus divided in two parts which can be easily and quicklydisconnected and enable the whole to be easily taken to pieces andfitted up again very easily in case of repair to the lamp or changinthearmature.

oreover, the very small length to which is reduced the issue ofthearmature conductor and the application of the latter i against the insulting plate 17 protects this conductor frgljny rupture, under the actionof rep shocks.

The hub 19 of the magnet of the improved electro-mechanical lamp abovedescribed ed and even very violent may conveniently comprise a -ratchetand movable roller device in. which the said rollers 20 and the ratchet21 integral` with the driving pinion 22 are `arranged Iwithin a `chamber23 formed in the magnet hub and closed by a cover 24 directly beaded onthe -said hub, this cover being erforated with a central opening throughw the pinion 22.

The arrangement of this cover, which does away with any free spacebetween its ich is engaged of the push button, so

los

`current from the electric outer edge and thatof the chamber 28, allowsto exactly hold in place the rollers 20 Within the chamber, so thatthese rollers cannot take a Wrong position and that the ratchet device,which resists to the most violent and abnormal shocks, will never brakethe gears, will not wedge and will always act what ever may be the speedimparted to the magnet.

It results therefrom that with a smaller muscular effort on theoperating lever, a longer duration of light is obtained.

T e above constructional arrangements are of course given by Way ofexample only, and the forms, materials and dimensions of the variousconstituent arts may be varied Without departing there y from theprinciple of the invention.

Claims.

1. An electro-mechanical pocket lamp comprising a casinfr,-a cagesecured in the 'said casing,-an e ectric generator of the ma net o typeand its driving members carrie by the said cage,-a metal socket on aninclined face of the casing,-an electric bulb secured on the saidsocket,a resilient metal strip secured on the cage and in contact withthe metal cap of the electric -bulb,-an insulated contact-piece on thesaid strip and in contact with the insulated contact-piece of the saidbulb,-means generator to the insulated contact piece of the resilientmetal strip,-means for ensuring the actuation of the .rotary magnet.

2. An electro-mechanical pocket lamp comprising a casing,-a cage securedin the said casing-an electric generator of the magneto type and itsdriving members carried by the said cage,-a metal socket on an inclinedface of the casing,-an electric bulb secured on the said socket,aresilient metal strip bent at rightl angles and one of the branches ofwhich is secured ony the cage, an insulated contact piece on the saidbranch and in contact with the insulated contactpier-e of the electricbulb, the other branch of the metal strip being in Contact with themetal cap of the head of the said bulb,a flexible wire connected at oneof its ends to the insulated contact-piece of the metal strip, thefemale part of a push button being secured for conveying thev vloose onthe shaft and having an end to the other end of the flexible wire andadapted to lit on the male member connected to the armature conductorand secured on an insulating plate mounted on the armature.

3. An electro-mechanical pocket lamp comprising a casing,a cage securedin the said casing,-an electric generator of the man'neto type an itsdriving members carried by the said cage,-a metal socket on an inclinedface of the casing,-an electric bulb secured on the said socket,-aresilient metal strip mounted on the axis of the operating lever,aninsulated contact-piece on the said strip,-a metal cap connected to thesaid strip by the insulated contact-piece, an electric bulb screwed inthe said cap, the insulated contact-piece of the said bulb being' incontact with the insulated contactpiece of the resilient metal strip,-aiexible Wire connected at one of its ends to the insulated contact-pieceof the metal strip, the female pai-tof a push button being secured tothe other end of the flexible wire and adapted to lit onthe male memberconnected to the armature conductor and secured on an insulating platemounted on the armature.

4. In an electro-mechanical pocket lamp, a rigid hub, an armaturemounted on Said hub, an insulating plate rigid upon the hub, a bulbsocket, and means providing part of the current connection between thearmature and bulb socket comprising a iexible wire leading from thesocket, and a snap fastener having one member at the end of said Wireand another member mounted on said plate, said member receiving one ofthe armature conductors.

5. In a device of the character described a fixed shaft, a multipolarmagnet, a hubjournalled on the shaft carrying the magnet and having achamber, a driving pinion extending into the chamber, a ratchet carriedby said end, rollers dis osed between the ratchet and chamber Walll) togrip said Wall upon rotation of'the ratchet in one direction, a coverfor the chamber retaining the rollers in place., and means to rotate thepinion.

The foregoing specification of my improvements in electro-mechanicallamps signed by me this 2nd day of March, 1922.

vPAUL BLOT.

